1
as in jagged
having an uneven edge or outline
a scraggy beard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneven
not having a level or smooth surface
climbers badly scraped their limbs on the scraggy cliffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scraggy
Fauja Singh was 89, thin as a reed, and had a scraggy beard that nearly reached his chest.
—
Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2025
Three years later, the follow-up, Caroline 2, expands outward in every direction, pairing scraggy, strummed chorales with heart-on-sleeve mantras and distorted furore.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
Airless Spaces might easily be read as the scraggy roman à clef of an ex-revolutionary, defined by its lack of engagement with the former work of its author.
—Audrey Wollen, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
From scraggy shores beyond the Golden Gate to miles-long coastline in Los Angeles County to the bohemian charm of Laguna, this list of the best beaches in California might just convince you that the West Coast really is the best one, indeed.
—Katie Kiefner, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2025
A lot of the music that came out of the Lower East Side was very scraggy.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2023
Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2025
Three years later, the follow-up, Caroline 2, expands outward in every direction, pairing scraggy, strummed chorales with heart-on-sleeve mantras and distorted furore.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
Airless Spaces might easily be read as the scraggy roman à clef of an ex-revolutionary, defined by its lack of engagement with the former work of its author.
—Audrey Wollen, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
From scraggy shores beyond the Golden Gate to miles-long coastline in Los Angeles County to the bohemian charm of Laguna, this list of the best beaches in California might just convince you that the West Coast really is the best one, indeed.
—Katie Kiefner, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2025
A lot of the music that came out of the Lower East Side was very scraggy.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scraggy
Adjective
-
Glover, for instance, was particularly captivated by the jagged topography along the moon’s terminator, the dividing line between its illuminated side and the side cloaked in darkness.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Outside the window were snippets of jagged peaks.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As an over-the-counter retinoid, retinol helps accelerate skin cell turnover, which can visibly improve uneven texture, fine lines, and discoloration over time.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But the improvements were short-lived as rates rose significantly in March, driven by a series of uneven economic reports and a spike in geopolitical tensions and overseas conflicts.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On a ragged offense, Achane had a league-leading 24 runs over 15 yards and finished third behind Cook and Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III with 40 runs over 10 yards.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Use sharp pruners or loppers for trimming trees, to avoid making ragged cuts.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Isolated by its beautiful, rugged mountains, West Virginia sits entirely within Appalachia and has long been listed at the bottom of a laundry list of failings, including poor health and a lack of education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Here, the sun cast stark, dramatic shadows across the moon’s steep cliffs, rugged ripples and seemingly bottomless craters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In rock climbing, a few such traits include longer fingers, shorter forearms, and scraggly wrists, all of which might help a climber clutch at tiny crimps in the rock with substantially more ease.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
At his dining-room table, in a new home in a scraggly stretch of New Orleans’s Seventh Ward, Rob toggled between Facebook and WhatsApp on both his phone and laptop.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With climate change causing storms to be stronger and rougher than in the past, communities up and down the California coast are facing a similar challenge, as other aging wooden piers suffer damage, leaving cities facing large bills while the public clamors to keep the popular attractions open.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Using your fingers and the outside edges of your palms, press in any rough spots or remaining dry bits of dough.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Crews have spent the last year fixing more than 700 broken streetlights.—
Adam Duxter,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But after these funds dried up, schools have struggled to replace broken or outdated devices, which last on average less than a decade despite Google’s efforts to extend device life spans.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scraggy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scraggy. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
